Inertia
by spineyrequiem
Summary: After Voldemort's defeat, the Death Eaters were rapidly removed from government and the Ministry of Magic returned to its former benevolent self. At least, that's what should have happened. Reality is never so simple.
1. Prologue: The Daily Prophet

_THE DAILY PROPHET: 3/5/98_

 ** _Dark Lord Killed in Climactic Hogwarts Battle!_**

 ** _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, returned two years ago by unknown means, was killed in a massive assault against the forces of Harry Potter, entrenched within Hogwarts Castle. Casualties are believed to have been horrific on both sides._**

 _Hogwarts Castle, founded over nine hundred years ago, was this morning a scarred ruin, with the bodies of the dead lying all around. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, whose first reign of terror is remembered all-too-well by many in the Wizarding World, had returned and was seeking revenge. After what is believed to have been a long pursuit, Potter finally agreed to a pitched battle, infiltrating Hogwarts Castle together with many of his most loyal followers and challenging You-Know-Who to attack. As they prepared for a fight, You-Know-Who delivered a chilling ultimatum 'Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed'._

 _The school rapidly factionalised, with many voices calling for Potter to be sent out, saving our children from what would prove to be a bloody battle. However, a large number supported him, including many in his own former house of Gryffindor, who Potter may have recruited while still at school in a similar manner to members of Slytherin house with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named years previously. Those not willing to sell their lives for Potter were ordered out under threats of violence. The majority of the staff appear to have wholeheartedly supported Potter with those who did not quietly leaving, but Headmaster Severus Snape bravely made a stand to prevent his students from becoming further casualties of Potter's terrorism. The Headmaster seems to have tried to capture Potter and quickly de-escalate the conflict while eliminating one of the greatest threats to Magical Britain at this time, but was defeated and forced to flee by a group of teachers loyal to Potter. With the last opposition out of the way, Potter's forces prepared for battle… (story continued on page 6)_

 _'We were certain they'd take us hostage; we were so scared.'_

 _Hogwarts student Pansy Parkinson speaks of her terrifying experiences as a captive of Potter_

 _'Give me Harry Potter and none shall be harmed…'_

 _Would the Dark Lord really have withdrawn peacefully?_

 _'The war isn't over.'_

 _Top ministry official says that Potter's mudblood army is still a force to be reckoned with._


	2. Chapter 1: The Dark Lord dead

The Dark Lord hit the ground with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snake-like face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and the boy stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell

And suddenly, Thicknesse felt his mind clear. The pink fuzz which had surrounded his thoughts for so long wafted away, and he saw the battle before him for the first time as himself. He felt the ropes binding him as he looked down at his robes; black, and beneath them he felt heavy curse-damping plates. In front of him, a shocked boy stood before the body of an old, bald man, and somehow he felt he knew them both. Ah, if only his mind would clear a little more! People all around him were running, screaming or… no, they were cheering. Some form of celebration. Perhaps one of them would set him free and explain it all?

" _Relashio._ '"The ropes fell from Thicknesse's body and he looked around to see a tall blond man offering him a hand. A man he remembered…

"Yaxley? What's happening?" and suddenly a horrible memory hit him. "Yaxley, I remember, you…"

"You must be confused, minister." his Head of Magical Law Enforcement said smoothly, pulling him to his feet and handing him back his wand. "We'll have you back in your right mind soon enough. _Imperio._ "

And suddenly, everything was clear.

"What do we do?"

Yaxley ignored the panicking Death Eater, focussing on tapping at the map in his hand.

"The Dark Lord's dead, the Lestranges are dead, we're finished, they'll get us for sure, I can't stay out of Azkaban this time, what do we do Yaxley?" Crabbe senior trailed off into a self-pitying whine and Yaxley impatiently snapped his map down.

"You're quite right, Crabbe. You can't stay out of Azkaban. After being caught and imprisoned for the attack at the Department of Mysteries, the entire wizarding world knows perfectly well that you haven't been operating under the Imperius Curse. Without the Dark Lord's protection, you'll be in Azkaban within a month." Yaxley looked back down at the map, as if he had merely been idly discussing the weather. Behind him, Thicknesse stood guard, his wand raised and a vague, happy expression on his face.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Do? Not much you can do, really. Run, perhaps? The wards should let you apparate about half a mile that way." The man gestured vaguely, not even looking up.

"But what about you? What are you going to do?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Yaxley airily. "I think I'll stay here for the moment, it's fairly pleasant."

Crabbe Senior goggled at the unruffled Head of Law Enforcement. _He's gone mad_ he thought to himself, his fingers twitching on his wand. The cogs in his head turned as he heard the sound of voices coming closer. If he stayed here, with Yaxley, they would get him for sure. If he ran, he'd have a chance.

"Right. I'll go then." Yaxley made a condescendingly encouraging noise from where he sat. "See you later, I suppose?" Another non-committal noise. With a last astounded look, Crabbe turned, squared his shoulders and began walking briskly away from the castle, not even sure entirely where he was going. At this point, the 'from' was far more important than the 'too'.

Yaxley looked up from his map at the Death Eater, studying him for a few seconds as strode off. _A pity_ he thought to himself, twirling his wand in his fingers. Finally, he stood up.

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!_ "

"Stop! Friendly! Don't curse us! Friendly!"

The auror team hesitated as the men advanced on them, their hands up. With a hand gesture from their leader, they all took a knee, still keeping their wands trained on the black-robed figures before them. As they got closer, their faces were suddenly recognisable.

" _Minister?_ "

"That's right!" said Thicknesse happily, his hands still over his head.

"Not just him," said the tall man beside the Minister for Magic. "Horsley, wasn't it?"

The leader of the auror team looked at his department head in shock. "Yes, sir. Might I ask…"

"Of course, Horsley. I'm sorry we couldn't tell you this earlier; spies everywhere, you know. I, along with many other high-level ministry employees, have infiltrated the Death Eaters and tonight have been able to bring about the Dark Lord's downfall at the hands of Undesirable Number One. You have arrived at the perfect time. With both forces nearly exhausted, we should be able to sweep them up and finally bring peace to Britain. Today," said Yaxley, taking the surprised auror by the shoulders, "is a great day. Or at least it will be. How many of you are there?"

"Seventy-five, including us. Forty-eight aurors, three in the command group and a double-strength doorbreaker section. We were only expecting Potter's forces, had prepared for a battle within the castle. There should be a few hundred Enforcers flying in too, though they won't be here for at least half an hour, and I can't speak for their reliability."

"I see. Not to worry, the remaining Death Eaters are very spread out and should be simple to deal with. If anything, your job's easier now. Who's your commander?"

Horsley looked relieved at the opportunity to pass responsibility up the command chain. "Captain Lewis, sir. Would you like to speak to her?" he said, proffering a small hand mirror.

"Thank you," said Yaxley, taking it and holding it up "Captain Chastity Lewis." A hard-looking woman's face appeared in the glass. "Hello captain. I don't imagine you were expecting to see me."

 _GENERAL ORDER: The Dark Lord's forces have been scattered across the area and are currently leaderless. Attempt to do as much damage as possible without risking yourselves or the primary mission. Be advised that large numbers of Ministry infiltrators are present in the Death Eater ranks, be sure to get positive ID before using any killing or permanently disabling curses. Any Death Eater who has been imprisoned is safe to eliminate. The grounds around Hogwarts are currently playing host to many dangerous wild animals, including giants, acromanatula and centaurs. Avoid these where possible, attacking only when strictly necessary. 'Snatchers' present in the area may be on our side or the Dark Lord's, do not engage unless attacked but be extremely wary._

 _Pro-Potter forces have been severely weakened by the battle and should be easy to destroy. The majority remain within the castle, with a few scattered about the grounds. A large contingent appears to be arriving from Hogsmeade, but Magical Law Enforcement Squad personnel arriving on the scene should be able to deal with them. Mission objectives remain the same, kill or capture Harry Potter and his various lieutenants in the so-called 'Order of the Phoenix.' Remember, many of his forces will be children bullied or imperiused into serving him, so be careful with your curses. I don't want unnecessary blood on my hands._

 _Auror squads are to form a cordon around the Doorbreaker section and any Ministry infiltrators discovered on the way. The castle itself is badly damaged, which will provide more entry points but increases the risk of us missing resistance nests. Make sure the path behind the Doorbreakers is cleared_ _thoroughly._

 _Good luck, everyone._

 _GENERAL ORDER ENDS._


	3. Chapter 2: The Aftermath

Madame Pomfrey's hands and robes were now so stained with blood that the original colour was totally invisible, but still she worked because taking the time to scourgify herself would mean another life lost. The Ravenclaw on the floor in front of her was barely seventeen, far too young to be bleeding to death on the cold stone. The deep cut in his stomach wouldn't heal with her normal spells and so once again she was singing the chant to heal a sectumsempra injury while mentally she cursed Severus Snape once more. He'd taught the spell to enough Death Eaters that half the casualties she worked on had been hit by it. The thought that this was only because other spells killed too fast for her to help was ruthlessly repressed as she finally teased the flesh together. The indent in the boy's flesh would a permanent reminder of today, but at least he'd live. She signalled to one of the shellshocked students who'd been helping her to deal with the more minor injuries and strode over to the next patient, a girl biting her lip to keep from screaming at the acidic burn steadily eating into her thigh. Even as she set to work, Madam Pomfrey knew she couldn't save the leg.

The battle had been over for at least an hour now, and yet more injured were still coming in, stumbling in under their own power or being brought in by the parties searching for bodies. More and more of these had their faces covered in cloth and were simply placed to the side of the room. In a macabre sort of way, this was good; if the rescue parties were bringing in the dead, that meant there were no more injured to deal with. Still, she could not stop working yet.

"You all need to go, they're coming!" Another of the walking wounded had staggered in, his eyes wild and grabbed the nearest person.

"It's alright love, it's over. We've won. Calm down." The girl put a comforting hand on her fellow student's soldier. "Let's sit you down, OK? You're going to be fine."

"You don't understand, there's more of them coming, they're..."

"It'll be fine love, you're panicking, just sit down and let me have a look at you."

"I can't sit, it's..." There was a great thump on one of the walls, shaking yet more dust from the ceiling. "Too late..."

The wall exploded in a cloud of dust and flying splinters and with a scream of "EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND!" a half-dozen red-robed wizards stormed through, cursing everything in sight. Madam Pomfrey was knocked off her feet and her wand sailed from her hand as the new enemies rushed forward, hardly caring as they trampled the injured. One of her helpers fumbled for his wand and without breaking stride a wizard stunned him to fall on top of his patient. The leading wizard blasted the doors on the other side of the room off their hinges and as quickly as they arrived, they were gone. Madam Pomfrey reached for her wand but even as her hand touched it another spell shot it away.

"DROP YOUR WANDS AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEADS," boomed a magically-amplified voice. Figures in auror robes were striding through the hole, their wands levelled. "YOU ARE ALL NOW PRISONERS OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC."

"Hands on your FUCKING heads!" shouted one of them at a group of confused helpers. "Petrificus Totalus!" The girl dropped like a log, and her friends swiftly complied. "Anyone who resists will be dealt with. STAY WHERE YOU ARE! STUPEFY!" Another girl dropped as she tried to back away. A pair of aurors pulled long rods from within their robes and ran them over Madam Pomfrey's shaking assistants. As it passed over one of them, the secrecy sensor beeped, and the auror holding it stunned him unceremoniously.

"What exactly do you think you are doing?" said Madam Pomfrey, with all the icy calm she could muster from her position on the floor.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS UP!"

"My hands are up, you idiot! What are you doing here," she squinted at the auror's face for a moment, "Winikus?"

"We're here to capture Potter." The auror looked rather unsettled that Madam Pomfrey knew her name. "As his followers, everyone in this room is to be treated as hostile. All of our actions have been entirely within ministry guidelines on necessary force, according to section 2(a) of the..."

"Well, Winikus, while I'm flattered you treat me as hostile, you spent enough time in the hospital wing to know I'm a mediwitch. That means my job is healing. I am not a threat to you, and for that matter neither are most of the people in here. They're either too non-violent, too injured or too dead to fight. And every minute you stop me treating them, more of them die. Now can you please let me return to doing my job?"

"I'm sorry madam, but we cannot permit any of you to use a wand. Ministry healers are on the way to treat injured and will be fully capable of..."

"And just how long till they get here? I'm not sure you understand Winikus, the people in here are dying. By refusing to let me help, you are killing them. What do the Ministry guidelines say about that?"

The woman looked uncomfortable and walked over to one of the other aurors for a brief, whispered conversation. After a while, they came to a consensus.

"Since you are of minimal threat, you will be permitted to continue treating your wounded so long as you hand over your wands and submit to a search for other magical items. Note that any violent actions or attempts to escape will still be treated extremely harshly. You have been warned."

"And exactly what good are we meant to do without wands?"

The aurors' commander shrugged. "More than you'd do otherwise."

Sergius Murray had one job and that was to maintain a shield.

Along with the young woman next to him, he was meant to protect the other four Doorbreakers in their half-section from the minor curses and jinxes hitting them from the front. "Protego" he muttered as he felt the shield in front of him weaken, still moving at a dead run with the others. His enchanted boots found the best route forward for themselves; one less thing to think about.

A huge block of stone sailed towards them and behind him he heard the undercommander's "Reducto" blast it to pieces. A few shards went through the shield but Sergius ignored them, trusting in his heavy robes to protect him. Making the shield proof to solid objects would be a waste of energy. A scintillating breaker hex crashed through the shield and Sergius felt the tripping jinx in his boots twist him to the side, away from it. He recast the shield even before he'd fully righted himself, barely slowed by what must have been their enemy's proudest weapon. Sergius saw a look of fear cross the man's face for a moment before one of the designated hex-casters lined up a spell and stunned him. Another Reducto took out the barrier their enemy had been hiding behind, and with another two curses the little nest of resistance was crushed. Sergius felt his boots press into soft flesh as he ran on. The aurors behind them would deal with the bodies before their spells wore off, and wasting time could cost them the mission.

"Target in two rooms. Prepare."

Sergius recast the shield charm as another door was blasted off its hinges and the room before them filled with fire. Their skin and robes burning, the occupants could get barely two spells off before they too were unconscious. The Doorbreaker's dragonskin boots trampled the flames as their commanders raised their wands for a combined Reducto and exploded the wall. Immediately, a gust of cold air hit them from a hole in the castle wall, where a dark-haired man in glasses was handing a broom to the last of the defenders.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" The young man's wand shot out of his hand, flying through the hole. "ON YOUR KNEES!"

The bruised, bloodstained young man turned to them, wearing a tired expression. "No." He raised his arms and, closing his eyes, fell backwards into the morning sunlight.

"Bloody hell," said Sergius as the group finally halted, "I suppose we got 'im, then."


End file.
